The Hypnotic Shamisen
by TheWildWitch
Summary: What happens when the niece of Grand Master Dashi and the granddaughter of Wuya is freed from her long sleep in the current Xiaolin-Heylin War? Find out the story of love, drama, action, and possibly other things (like guest appearances from some of the best Xiaolin Showdown OCs). OC x OC


Darkness… That's all I can remember since my uncle locked me away. I still love him dearly, but I can't believe he did it. He couldn't even look at me one last time with the heart-warming loving look he'd given me since my parents died.

How many years has it been? Decades? Centuries? I have no idea. Time is irrelevant in my dark, dreamless slumber. At least, it's supposed to be dreamless.

Has Grandmother been released? She's crafty enough to figure out a way to be released. I wish she would release me. I don't like it in this dark tomb.

Tomb? When did I realize that I'm in a tomb? That's weird… Uncle Dashi just locked me in a cave. I don't remember it being a tomb. All I remember is that I couldn't wake up after I fell asleep, but I'm not dead. I can still feel the cold stone slab that serves as my bed. The cloth that had covered it had long been gone. Maybe they built a tomb around me from the stone.

I wonder how Uncle Dashi and Dojo are. They could be long gone or just aged for all I know. I hope a familiar face is there when I wake up, if I wake up. I don't know if I will anymore.

What's this? It's so warm. Bring it closer, stranger.

Someone has brought me fire? Who is that next to them? Is that…Grandmother's voice I hear? I try to speak, but my lips refuse to move. My peaceful slumber starts to pull me back deeper into it. I just go along with it.

"Jack, you useless idiot! Quickly! You must release her from the seal." Grandmother yells at her companion, a boy I'm guessing. Her familiarly cranky, raspy voice is sweet music to my ears after silence for so long. She sounds far away though. I realize that they are outside the first door of the tomb.

The entire cave rumbles, and the ground shakes violently. I hear thunder and a girlish scream that definitely isn't mine.

Blackness has almost taken over when I feel myself upright. I am so dizzy that I have to sit back down. I look down and see my body sleeping peacefully.

"I must be only half free." I concluded. I unfurl my wings from around me and stretch out my limbs. I float through the second door like a ghost just as Grandmother's companion was diving behind some rocks.

"Blast that Dashi! He used two doors to lock away my granddaughter!" Grandmother screams in frustration. She doesn't have her human form, but her ghost form fits her just fine.

"Thank you for freeing me, Grandmother. Even though it's only part way." I say, bowing in respect with my voice sounding rusty and unused.

"MeiMei, my dear, sweet little girl. I have missed you so much." Grandmother floats over and hugs me tightly. Somehow, we can touch each other but not physical things.

I try to smile, but it feels more like I'm just baring my fangs. I'm out of practice.

"How long have I been sleeping, Grandmother?" I ask, finally managing a smile, however rusty I am.

"1,500 years, sweet child." She replies, her hard mask/face softening just a little.

"That long? I felt time pass while I slept, but I was unsure of how much time." I say. Grandmother's companion, Jack I'm guessing, creeps out from his hiding spot.

He has gray skin and red hair with red eyes that have markings under them. He wears a black cloak and some sort of strange pack. His spiral lens glasses-things look funny to me.

"Who is this again, Wuya?" He asks, seeming to be rude and uncaring.

"My granddaughter, you imbecile!" She yells at him. She can be very harsh when she wants to be.

"Okay, okay. No need to shout." He soothes mockingly. He turns to me, holds out his hand, and smirks. "Jack Spicer, evil boy genius."

I bow respectively and reply, "MeiMei the Demon Queen."

I try to take his hand, but I can't touch physical objects. I give up on that quickly.

"Why are you all ghost-y like Wuya here?" Jack asks, motioning to Grandmother.

"She's only partially freed. It seems that only the 4 Xiaolin Dragon or Dragons-in-training can open the door." Grandmother explains as I listen intently, and Jack looks at his finger nails with lack of interest.

"Speaking of which, here come those losers now." Jack says, looking at the skies.

"I shall ask them to free me then." I say, sitting back down and hiding my wings. I manage to make my shamisen appear and play it. I play a soothing melody that my mother loved while Jack and Grandmother hide.

"There it is, kids. I have a sneaking suspicion I'm forgetting something about this place though." A familiar voice says. Dojo lands with four kids on his back as I continue playing.

"You seem to forget a lot, Dojo." The girl states, hopping off of his back.

"Let's see you remember everything after 1,500 years." Dojo counters, shrinking.

"Sh. Does anyone else hear music?" the dark-skinned, green-eyed boy asks.

"That music. I know it." Dojo states.

I begin to sing gently as I hear the group move towards me, "Sunny spring day with cherry blossoms. Children run ribbons throughout the grove. The women all watch and wait as their men come marching home."

I spot the group getting close out of my peripheral vision, so I stop singing and just continue to play my shamisen in the same soothing way. They get close enough to recognize me as I finish playing the song. My face is down towards my instrument.

"Please don't stop, ma'am. That's mighty pretty music." The well-built blonde boy compliments. He has a thick accent that I don't recognize.

"MeiMei? Is that you?" Dojo asks in disbelief, looking closer at my face.

I look up at the group as they gasp in what I believe is surprise. I smile widely and greet them, "Hello, Dojo and Dojo's friends."

"Does that girl have fangs?" The short, yellow-skinned monk boy asks.

"Yes, she does. Everyone, this is MeiMei. She'll tell you all about herself when we get her home." Dojo says, growing big again.

"I can't leave yet." I state, standing up.

"Why not, MeiMei? You're obviously free from your tomb." Dojo questions, looking down at me.

"It's a bit of an explanation." I answer, walking over and leaving my shamisen on the rock I was seated on. I pretend to trip on some ground which I can't really do since I am not physically there and floating.

"I gotcha." The green-eyed boy says as he lunges to catch me. I go right through his arms like I knew I would and float a little ways from the ground. The boy looks at me in amazement.

I stand back up as I explain, "I'm only partially free. The other part can only be unlocked by the Xiaolin Dragons."

"Should we, Dojo?" The girl asks.

"It's the only way to get the Hypnotic Shamisen. It hasn't activated yet, but I remember it's in there with MeiMei." Dojo replies, shrinking again and only making eye contact with me.

"There's a Sheng Gong Wu in there?!" the monk boy exclaims.

"The Hypnotic Shamisen is in there." I say calmly as I lead them to the door. "I don't know how to open the door though."

"You have to put your hands in the correctly marked impressions in the rock wall and channel a small amount of your chi." Dojo explains, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Place our hands there?" The blonde boy asks, pointing towards the four hand prints with their elemental symbols.

I nod as I walk through the door after making my shamisen disappear and stick my head back out. They all jump out of their skins. "I have to go now, but once you open the door and wake me up, I'll come with you."

I lie back down on my stone bed and close my eyes as warmth fills me. I feel my power surge within my body. I haven't felt this warmth since I was locked away.

I open my real eyes for the first time in 1,500 years. I blink away the blurriness and attempt to stand up, but I fail at it. Instead, I fall to the ground. I close my eyes and wait for the feeling of the ground hitting me, but it never comes.

I open my eyes to see Jack holding me. He helps me stand up and holds me up with an arm around my waist as the Dragons-in-training rush into the tomb. I open my mouth to thank him, but I get interrupted.

"It's that no good snake in the grass, Spicer." The blonde boy yells angrily. He starts to charge at Jack and me, but Dojo stops him.

"You'll hurt MeiMei if you attack now!" He turns to me and asks, "Can you stand on your own, MeiMei, or do I need to come get you?"

"I don't think I can stand on my own yet." I answer truthfully.

"She isn't going with you. She belongs with Wuya and me." Jack shouts at them, smirking.

"No, she belongs at the Xiaolin temple." Dojo shouts back, slowly coming to get me.

The green-eyed boy had snuck behind us sometime during this and grabbed my Hypnotic Shamisen. He was trying to sneak back around us when Jack spun around and grabbed the opposite end of it. They started pulling on it.

"Don't break it!" I exclaim, trying to grab my shamisen.

"Why isn't it glowing?" The green-eyed boy asks, tugging on the shamisen again.

"Maybe because it won't work for any of you!" I yell at him. He drops the shamisen and just looks at me surprised.

Jack hands it to me and adjusts me so that he can hold me up better. He starts to lead me out when the green-eyed boy grabs my arm.

"She's going back to the temple with us." He states, coldly glaring at Jack.

"No, she's coming with Wuya and me to my evil lair." Jack replies, his grip on me tightening just a little bit as I start to glow. The green-eyed boy would have let go if he hadn't recognized the glow of a Sheng Gong Wu before a Xiaolin Showdown.

"Raimundo, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. My Monkey Staff versus your Sword of the Storm." Jack says.

"Name your game, Jack." Raimundo replies.

"First one to catch MeiMei wins." Jack declares.

"Let's go Xiaolin Showdown!" They both shout.

"P-please don't fight over me..." I stammer as the scenery changes. I'm pulled away from Jack and up into the air, so I unfold my wings and start to fly around quite clumsily.

"She has wings, too?! I did not perceive that approaching." The monk boy exclaims.

"You mean you didn't see that coming." The blonde boy corrects him.

"Yes, that too." The monk boy agrees.

"Yes, Omi. That's not important at the moment. Right now, we need to make sure Wuya doesn't get MeiMei. It's seriously important that Wuya doesn't get possession of her." Dojo declares, glancing worriedly up at me in the air.

"Rai! Don't lose this!" The girl yells at Raimundo.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" Jack and Raimundo yell at each other, beginning the showdown. They launch themselves into the air at me, but I easily dodge both of them. Jack uses some sort of flying machine to chase me, but I dodge until I'm close to Raimundo. I dive to avoid Jack, and just as I come up out of the dive, Raimundo grabs me from behind and glares at Jack.

"I win, Jack." Raimundo states, still holding me as the Showdown ends.

"You're useless, Jack! You can't even catch her after she hasn't moved for 1,500 years!" Grandmother yells at Jack.

"U-um, R-Raimundo? P-please let go." I request nervously. Raimundo hasn't put me down yet.

"Sorry." Raimundo apologizes and sets me back on the ground, but I still can't stand on my own yet. I nearly hit the ground, but Raimundo catches me again.

Dojo's friends come over to Raimundo and me. The blonde boy picks me up bridal style when Raimundo lets go.

"Are you feelin' alright, ma'am?" He asks me as he carries me over to Dojo and sets me onto the dragon's scaly back.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I reply, smiling kindly at him.

"Dashi would kill me if you got hurt!" Dojo exclaims as he checks me over for injuries.

"Why would Grand Master Dashi kill you if she got hurt?" The girl asks. The Dragons-in-training had all hopped onto Dojo's back. The blonde boy is sitting behind me, Raimundo in front of me, and the girl and Omi in front of him.

"I'll explain when we get back." Dojo answers, getting ready to fly away.

"Wait! She forgot this." Grandmother shouts at them as she and Jack carry my shamisen over to me.

Jack hands me my shamisen, and I hug it to my chest. I smile at them and say, "Thank you, Jack. It's much appreciated"

Dojo then flies away while I wave good-bye to them. It's time for me to finally go home to the temple.

I unfold my wings and start to fly next to Dojo. I laugh happily as I do twists and flips, flying circles around Dojo. I finally fly over next to Dojo's head and hug him tightly.

"Glad to see your smiling face again, kid." He says, smiling at me.

"Uncle D-Dashi is gone, i-isn't he?" I ask sadly only loud enough for Dojo to hear.

His face immediately turns extremely sad and tears well up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, kid, but he's been gone for a very long time."

I gasp and feel tears start to flow down my cheeks. I fly back to my spot between the blonde boy and Raimundo and sit down. They notice I'm crying, and the blonde boy hands me a handkerchief.

"Dojo! What'd you say that made her cry?" The girl demands. Dojo tries to respond but can't seem to make the words come.

"I-I'll explain at the t-temple. It's n-not Dojo's fault." I soothe, wiping away my tears with the handkerchief.

"Hold on, kids. We're going in for the landing." Dojo announces as we descend to the Xiaolin temple. I start to fall off a little bit, but the blonde boy puts his hands on my shoulders to help me stay on, whispering an apology. I turn to smile appreciatively at him right before Dojo lands.

He tips his hat to me and hops off with the Sheng Gong Wu. I look at the ground where he'd just jumped off. I'm still not very steady on my feet, I can tell.

Raimundo notices my hesitation and walks over to the ground where I should be getting off. He smiles kindly and says, "I'll catch you, don't worry."

I nod, grab my shamisen, and jump off. I land on my feet but very unsteadily. I start to fall, but Raimundo catches me like he promised. I'm about to thank him when I realize how close our faces are. My stomach feels like I swallowed several handfuls of mountain snow.

"Feeling strong enough to walk on your own, MeiMei?" Dojo asks, shrinking and slithering over.

"I-I think so. Someone should p-probably walk by me, j-just in case though." I stammer, pulling away from Raimundo.

"Come on, MeiMei! I can show you how to walk on two fingers!" Omi offers, pulling me into an open room with a small table with a tea pot and cups on it. An older man sits meditating on a pillow.

"Master Fung! Look what we brought home." The girl says to the older man.

He opens his eyes and stands up. "This is a who, Kimiko, not a what.

"Greetings, Master Fung. My name is MeiMei, and I promised your students that I would tell them my story. They saved me from my imprisonment." I introduce myself to Master Fung. I bow respectively as I had been taught. He bows back.

"Then, please sit and tell us your story. Omi, please pour us some tea. I have a feeling that this will be a long story." Master Fung requests, sitting back down. His students follow suit, and I sit on an empty pillow at the table next to the girl, Kimiko.

Omi starts to pour the tea as I begin. "I should tell you my full name, which is MeiMei the Demon Queen. I was born 1,500 years ago to a man who served evil and a woman who fought for good. My mother was the sister of Grand Master Dashi."

I wait for that to sink in as Dojo comes over and pats my hand reassuringly.

"Grand Master Dashi is your uncle?" Kimiko exclaims.

I nod and continue, "My parents did love each other, but they had to see each other in secret. If either Uncle Dashi or my father's family found out about them, they would be in big trouble. They secretly married, and shortly after, I was born."

"Why did you glow like a Sheng Gong Wu though?" Omi asked curiously.

"Patience, Omi. Ask questions when she's finished her story." Master Fung scolded gently.

I nod thankfully at Master Fung, and continue, "Father couldn't be around too much because he was always called away to work so Mother and I lived with Uncle Dashi. He taught me about Sheng Gong Wu and all of his lessons and techniques. My mother taught me to play her shamisen, and life was wonderful."

"When I was 6 years old, Mother and Father were forced to fight each other. Excuse me," I say, wiping away my tears. Dojo hands me a handkerchief, and I wipe my eyes as I continue, "They ended up killing each other, and with their dying breaths, they gave me to their closest family. Mother gave me to Uncle Dashi, and Father gave me to his mother."

"My only family left alive physically and magically fought for years before my grandmother was defeated. After she was gone, Uncle Dashi continued raising me as his own. Around age 14, I had stopped physically aging. Uncle Dashi made a Sheng Gong Wu just for me, the Hypnotic Shamisen. He told me that only I could use it because it was made for me."

"My powers had started to grow around then. I couldn't control them one day, and accidentally hypnotized a couple of local villages. They started to act like my slaves, and I couldn't break the spell. Visitors to the villages left with the impression that a demon had enslaved them. They found me and figured out that I was responsible. Uncle Dashi hid me in the temple, and Dojo brought news from the villages. The spell had worn off, but they had started calling me the Demon Queen."

"One day, I woke up to the sound of many angry voices outside the temple. The villagers had come to destroy the demon that had enslaved them. Uncle Dashi told them off, but he didn't speak to me for the rest of the day."

"I went to sleep that night and woke up in the tomb. Uncle Dashi had been sealing the first door. I called out to him, but he didn't answer me. I started panicking when the door started to close. I had nearly gotten out when he pushed me back in. He couldn't even look me in the eye or even at me. After both doors were sealed, I cried for a long time. I fell asleep on the stone bed and was held in a suspended state, forever sleeping."

"I became aware of my surroundings when warmth came to my tomb. My tomb had been so cold for so long that the warmth was a welcome change. I felt an earthquake shake the entire mountain, and I opened my eyes to find myself only half free. I floated through the door like a ghost and found myself there alone. I sat down and began playing. Then, you know the rest." I finish.

"Why did you glow?" Omi demands impatiently.

"I'm the link to the Sheng Gong Wu, so if you want to use it, you have to have me on your side. I guess that means I'm kind of like a Sheng Gong Wu in that sense." I reply, smiling at his cute antics.

"You know, it broke Dashi's heart to lock you away. I had to stop him from unlocking you only a day after he had sealed you away. I had to remind him that you'd wake up in a better time, and you did." Dojo says, hugging my arm.

I wipe away my tears with the handkerchief and kiss the top of his little head with a sad smile. "Thank you, Dojo."

I left out several parts of my story, but they can figure those out later. Much, much later hopefully.

"You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you want." Master Fung offers, patting my hand reassuringly.

"Thank you, Master Fung. I'd like to stay here." I say, smiling at him. I put a little sugar in my tea and sip it slowly. I'd forgotten how good tea and sugar taste.

"Where's she going to sleep though?" Kimiko asks. "There can't possibly be any room for her to sleep with us."

"Is my room still empty? It's the little living quarters on the ." I question.

"Why, yes. That room is empty, but it hasn't been used in a long time. Grand Master Dashi himself left a note on the door to tell us not to use it, and the instruction has been passed down through the generations. We clean it frequently though, and I believe some of your belongings are still in there." Master Fung replies.

"Was there a white and black outfit like the young Dragons'?" I ask hopefully.

"Yes, and it's in amazingly good condition for even our time." Fung answers, smiling at me.

"My mother made it with magic cloth. It is one of my last memories of her." I explain quietly and sadly.

"So, she gets to pick her room when we have those tiny excuses for rooms without beds?" Raimundo asks rhetorically.

"Hey, Fung, I don't think the kids were properly introduced." Dojo states, thankfully changing the subject.

"Well, I'm Kimiko Tohomiku from Tokyo, Japan." Kimiko says, smiling.

"I'm Raimundo Pedrosa, but you can call me Rai." Raimundo smirks.

"My name is Clay Bailey. Please just call me Clay though, ma'am." The blonde boy tips his hat to me.

"I am Omi, and I am the greatest Xiaolin Warrior ever. You have so much to learn from me, like how to walk on two fingers and walk on walls and ceilings. One day, if you practice long and hard, you too can come somewhat close to being as great as me." Omi rants with the cutest little smug smile on his face that I've ever seen.

I giggle as I bow respectively to all of them. I had become very tired since I had endured much today after sleeping for fifteen hundred years. It's a little over-whelming. Luckily, Clay notices my tiredness.

"Why don't ya hit the hay, ma'am? It's been a lot to take in for you today, I reckon." Clay suggests lightly.

"'Hit the hay'?" I repeat slowly, confused.

"He means go to sleep." Master Fung explains.

"Ah, well, yes. I'd like to go to sleep. Thank you for your kindness, Clay." I smile at him appreciatively as he tries to hide a slight blush with his hat.

I shakily get to my feet and take a couple of hesitant steps towards my room, but I fall hard to the ground. Everyone rushes over and all try to help me up at once. I wave them off, but Clay and Rai stay even after I tell them I can make it on my own.

"I reckon you need a hand getting to your room, Miss MeiMei." Clay offers gently.

"I wish I could say no and mean it, but to be honest, I'm not even sure I can make it to my room without falling every few steps." I sigh. I am truly being honest right now. "If either of you know the way to my room, then I'd be very grateful if you could help me to it."

"I know where it is. I was going to ask Master Fung if I could have that room since the biggest one is off-limits. Guess I can't anymore." Rai says, helping me up and scratching the back of his head. He puts an arm around my shoulders and holds me up as we start walking to my room. I turn and wave good night to everyone before we turn a corner.

I nearly slip from Rai's grasp, but he holds me a little tighter. "I don't think this is working."

"Then, here. Take my arm. That might make it easier." Rai offers his arm to me, and I take it. It is a little easier, but I grit my teeth while trying to support myself. Rai keeps giving me worried looks like I was about to fall and die any second.

Finally, we arrive at my room. I turn to Rai and hug him before turning to go into my room.

"Good night, Rai. Sweet dreams." I say, giving him a small smile and shutting my door. I walk over to my closet and pull out my sleep wear that are in excellent condition. Thank you, Mother, for thinking ahead. I change into them and lay down on my mat, pulling my new blanket over me and falling into a deep sleep.


End file.
